Essay - Shinji (Evangelion)

One of the main complaints with Neon Genesis Evangelion that I've heard is that Shinji is a whiny, pathetic waste of air.  I'm not going to disagree.  Though one thing that I was thinking about recently, is how refreshingly unformulaic that is.

I mean, most action-oriented anime take on a similar formula.  Person with a crazy amount of tenacity or is otherwise completely awesome meets up with random situation which allows that awesome to show through, which kicks off their entire world view changing, usually in association with being thrust into constant combat.  I mean, let's look at some examples.  And warning:  there are spoilers for MULTIPLE anime coming.


Code Geass:  Of everyone in Tokyo, the one person who happened to be in the right place at the right time to be given the power of Geass from C.C. was (a) the only exiled prince of Britannia, (b) one of a small population who went to the same academy as one of the *2* people driving the truck C.C. was in, (c) the biggest tactical genius in all of Japan (err, Area 11), and (d) a close personal friend of the soldier who happened to be first on the scene.  VERY convenient, though necessary to get the plot moving.  Right person full of awesome (tactics and genius), just happens to be given power (Geass), kicked off Lelouch entering into an entire arena of combat (albeit voluntarily, which is generally not the case).

Elfen Lied:  Of all people to find Lucy is her amnesiac state, it was basically her exclusive childhood friend who just happened to have returned to the same city after several years on that same day.  He also just happened to be exactly the person who would be needed for Lucy to not just arbitrarily kill whoever took her in, most likely, and then let her start to re-embrace her humanity.  Right person full of awesome compassion (childhood friend), just happens to be given power someone with power (Lucy), kicked off the whole diclonius repossession efforts (albeit he didn't get too far involved until the end of the anime/midway in the manga).

Bleach:  Of all the people for a soul reaper to need direct help from in a random attack, it just happened to be some kind of super-dude who could already talk to ghosts and had crazy spiritual strength.  Albeit Bleach was a little less contrived as the fact that he saw the Shinigami/Hollow is what put him in the line of fire to begin with, it still happened to be getting visited on his house.  Right person full of awesome (tremendous spirit energy and other things), just happens to be given power (zanpakuto and shinigami powers), kicked off the whole involvement with shinigami and hollows.

Guyver:  Of all the people to find/activate a Guyver unit, it just happened to be someone with insane tenacity and stubbornness.  Right person full of awesome (raw tenacity), just happens to be given power (Guyver suit), kicked off the whole involved-with-Cronos thing.


But then you have Shinji.  He isn't full of awesome.  In fact, the only thing that he's brimming with is unresolved issues.  With a lot of anime, it comes to mind:  What would happen if some random Joe found it instead?

I mean, what if some Japanese bystander was offered the Geass power instead of Lelouch getting involved?  Lelouch would have remained being a bored student, and the new person would either get themselves a little bit of power, get themselves shot, or go hide in a corner where they would be safe.

Or what if someone less stubborn had found the guyver I?  Monster:  "Come back to our HQ, and you'll be just fine."  Joe Shmo:  "Alright, just get this thing off me, k?"

Or what if the very exact person who is the only one who can possibly use your super-awesome Evangelion unit was just some whimpy kid instead of a natural born mech pilot?  Oh, wait, that IS the case with Evangelion.  He's not the ideal candidate, not even a passable candidate.  He's a pathetic waste of air, and the exact wrong person to put into a situation where they need to be at all responsible for the mass wellfare of others.  That said, it has to be him, because *only* he can pilot it.


I was never as critical of Shinji as most people I've talked to, but could never put my finger on it.  I think this explains it, though.  He's not a superior specimen as Lelouch or Ichigo.  He's not the right person for the job like Kouta.  He's not even just a strong human being, like Sho.  He's just the only person who can physically do the job.  Even if that makes him a bit less awesome, and even if he's a pathetic human being, I've always found it a little refreshing that he *is* pathetic, and so breaks the typical anime mold.














(All pictures found on Google)